September 27, 2015

When I asked Annie what the most memorable moment was in her 30 years with Amadeus Concerts, she said that on September 17, 2006, just before she was to be the soloist in Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, K. 626 (the last piece he completed), she stood and dedicated the performance to her recently deceased brother and to her grieving mother who was in the audience.

Annie was born and raised in DC, earned her Bachelors in Music from Curtis and her Masters from Juilliard in clarinet performance.

In addition to Amadeus, she has played with the National Symphony, Washington Ballet, and Baltimore Opera.  Also at Wolf Trap, Arena Stage, and Washington Shakespeare Theatre.

I asked Annie how she chose the clarinet, and she said that she took recorder in the 3rd grade and later felt that the clarinet was the closest orchestral instrument to it.

She says that the clarinet is a versatile instrument that blends well with the orchestra (“the glue that holds the woodwinds together”), and that it can also be a featured instrument.

She named some compositions that showcase the clarinet well: Beethoven’s Symphony no. 6, Copland’s Appalachian Spring, and Sibelius’s Violin Concerto.  “I am itching to play that,” she said.

Annie has 2 grown daughters who are following satisfying career paths, but not in music.

She loves gardening, both at home and professionally.  Next time you visit the National Cathedral and its lovely surroundings, be sure to give a nod to Annie’s work.

As with all busy people, enough is not enough: She is on the executive board of the local musicians union.